Conventionally, a pushbutton switch device provided with a light emitting element arranged at the center of the interior of a switch case, which is applicable to an elevator, is constructed, for example, as shown in FIG. 15. That is, as shown in FIG. 15, a printed circuit board 3 is arranged on the lower surface of a switch case 1, and a light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as LED) 5 is mounted on the upper surface of the printed circuit board 3; a reflector 7 having a reflection surface in the form of a truncated-cone-shaped peripheral surface and adapted to upwardly reflect the light of the LED 5 is arranged so as to face substantially the central portion of the switch case 1, and a built-in switch 9 formed of, for example, a tact switch, is mounted on the printed circuit board 3 on the right-hand side of the reflector 7.
Further, an operating member 13 to which a pushbutton 11 is detachably attached is arranged so as to close the upper side of the switch case 1. The pushbutton 11 is depressed to integrally push down the operating member 13, and the operating member 13 thus depressed presses downwardly a switch member 9a arranged on the upper surface of the built-in switch 9 through the intermediation of a flexible rubber 15, to thereby turn on the built-in switch 9.
At this time, a left-hand end 13a of the operating member 13 is placed on a step portion 17 at the left-hand end of the switch case 1 to be locked to the lower surface of a lock protrusion 19 at the upper left-hand upper of the switch case 1, and a hook-like portion 13b integrally formed with the operating member 13 to extend downwardly from the lower surface of the right-hand end portion of the operating member 13 is detachably engaged from below with an engagement portion 21 having an L-shaped sectional configuration at the right-hand end of the switch case 1.
Due to the elasticity of the rubber 15, an upward urging force is imparted to the operating member 13. When the operating member 13 is depressed through depression of the pushbutton 11 against this urging force, the hook-like portion 13b at the right-hand end of the operating member 13 rotates downwardly as indicated by the arrow of FIG. 15 using the left-hand end of the operating member 13 as a fulcrum, with the result that the lower surface of the right-hand end portion of the operating member 13 pressurizes the rubber 15 to depress the switch member 9a of the built-in switch 9, to thereby turn on the built-in switch 9.
When the depression of the pushbutton 11 is released, the hook-like portion 13b at the right-hand end of the operating member 13 rotates upwards due to the elasticity of the rubber 15, and the hook-like portion 13b at the right-hand end of the operating member 13 engages with the engagement portion 21 of the switch case 1 again, with the operating member 13 being restored to the former state before the depression.
The urging force exerted on the operating member 13 may also be provided by some other urging means, such as a spring rather than the rubber 15.
In another example of such a pushbutton switch device, when the pushbutton is depressed, one end of the pushbutton abuts an abutment member, and the other end portion of the pushbutton rotates using that one end as a fulcrum, thereby operating the switch (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In still another example, a pair of support shafts are provided on the lower side of the pushbutton main body, and a double-folded spring member is locked to both support shafts; the depressing operation on the switch is effected by the fold-back piece of the spring member; at this time, whichever portion of the pushbutton main body may be depressed, the pushbutton main body is pushed down using a portion of the fold-backpiece as a fulcrum (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Patent Document 1: JP 2004-119238 A (paragraph 0012, FIG. 12)
Patent Document 2: JP 05-266754 A (paragraphs 0022, 0023, FIGS. 8, 9)